Q: Are you superstitious and if so what are you superstitious about?

A: I toss a pinch of salt over my left shoulder if it’s spilled, won’t walk under a ladder, and cringe at broken mirrors. So no…I’m not superstitious at all! My logical self *rolls her eyes* but I do it anyways. As far as my writing goes, nobody is allowed to read a word of my books until they’re completely finished. I don’t post “fifth lines of the fifth page,” I don’t do previews in my blog or on my website, and I’m driven to distraction if someone glances in my general direction while I’m writing. My characters don’t like it. (You may roll your eyes now.)

Q: Have you had any paranormal experiences?

A: Paranormal experiences run in my family. My mother turned a blind eye because it scared her, and my grandmother never talked about her experiences because it didn’t fit in with her religion. I didn’t have either of those issues. Ghosts are part of the landscape and I’ve learned to co-exist. The only experience that rattled me was something that happened when I was ten-years-old. It was the middle of the night and I was sitting on the couch (lifelong insomniac). I heard singing in my ear as if a woman were sitting right next to me. I went back to bed and had the worst nightmare. I dreamt there was a naked woman wrapped in a shower curtain in our bathtub. She was blonde, had a bullet hole in her head and was quite dead. It was a graphic nightmare for a kid, I never watched television and rarely had nightmares. I had it for weeks until we finally moved. Each time, it became more intense—it had gotten to the point where she was clawing her way from the tub and trying to speak to me through the shower curtain. Needless to say, I was a bit of a wreck by the time we moved! Years later, I found out from my parents there was a murder in that house. They didn’t elaborate, but I always wondered of the details. I’ve written of other paranormal experiences in my blog but that one will always stick with me.

Q: What inspired you to write The Island?

A: The Island was inspired by another experience that happened when I was a kid. Funny how childhood experiences stick with you! My parents sent me to camp for the summer. The camp was located on a small island off the mainland and kept solely for campers only. In addition to standard camp activities, the kids were allowed to explore on their own in groups. Unfortunately, because I was a new kid, my group was just me. There were designated paths on the island but you know how that goes—kids explore. I forged my own path into the woods and literally fell into a small cave. The cave was empty…but not empty. Have you ever had that feeling? It felt like whatever resided inside suddenly fixated on me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood, I felt icy cold, and the prick of tears was close, though I didn’t know why. It was almost as if I had stumbled into someplace sacred. I managed to climb out, but it felt like I was being watched. I tossed and turned that night, unsettled. The feeling persisted into the next day, so I returned to the area—wanting to make peace with it. I looked and looked, but the cave was nowhere to be found.

Q: Do you have a writing routine and if so what is it like?

A: My characters and story inspirations usually come to me in a dream. I keep a pen beside the bed for when I wake in the middle of the night and write on my arms and legs (I never seem to have paper). I probably look a bit demented by morning, but it works! Once I have the idea and characters, I’ll write the story from beginning to end until the first draft is finished. Then, I do my research and gazillion edits. A book will take me about a year to complete.

Q: Who is your favourite author and why do you like them?

A: I have two; Gerald Brom and Robert Holdstock. Gerald Brom writes wonderful sympathetic antagonists. The character of Krampus from his novel, Krampus: The Yule Lord is one of my favorites. Robert Holdstock was excellent at incorporating mythology into his stories. Mythago Wood is steeped in ancient mythology and gets into my head every time I read it.

Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

A: The road to publication is trial and error and different for everyone. Self-publishing is huge right now. If you go that route, you need to understand and be comfortable with promotion and social media (this goes for traditional publishers too). There are many, many books out there and it’s easy to become lost in the shuffle. Don’t be the book that’s been poorly edited or formatted, because it gives people an excuse to pass over your awesome story. As far as going the traditional route—get used to rejection and don’t take it personally. A lot of it is timing and finding a publisher who “gets” your vision. That said, if you’re getting the same rejection feedback, take another look at what they’re saying and approach your writing with that in mind.

Thanks to Clarissa Johal Booksfor answering these questions.

The Island is currently on sale for $0.99 for the duration of this book tour. See the full tour schedule here: http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/2016/03/virtual-book-tour-schedule-island-by.html